Spare-Air Vest

Spare-Air Products

Submersible Systems introduces a safety product specifically designed for the extreme water-sport enthusiast. The Spare Air Xtreme Sport uses the same proven technology that SCUBA divers have using since the sport became popular. For over 23 years, divers around the world have used Spare Air to perform self-rescues and to save others where only a few extra breaths are necessary to prevent drowning. The HEED version of the Spare Air has been helping the Military, Firemen and other rescue personnel save lives inland rescue situations.

SPARE AIR is the smallest redundant SCUBA system available with enough air to get you to the surface in an out-of-air emergency. The patented SPARE AIR should be a standard piece of SCUBA diving equipment for the safety minded diver. Explore a wealth of information about our product and diving in general. Our goal is to convince you to save your own life in an out-of-air emergency.

Two wave hold downs and Spare Air
For my Big Wave friends and family by Shawn Dollar

On Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 2:20 pm

“I was asked by a friend to share my experience using my Spare Air canister this last Wed during a two-wave hold down at Mavericks. I want to share feedback on equipment. I’ve been asked a lot about using them with the V2.1 suit. I wear my Spare Air over my V2.1 inflatable suit, and they go together really well. The pull is still accessible and the Spare Airs harness sits’s high enough that it doesn’t overlap the bladder very much and it stretches just fine when it’s inflated. A lot of people think they can’t be worn together when the V2.1 is inflated but that is not true.

Wed I spent the morning filming with the Jay Movie. My role was to hang out in the impact zone and get worked with Ben Andrews and Ion Banner. We got mowed maybe 30+ waves and got absolutely pounded as they shot the scene way too many times. During this time I went through the rocks twice and had a two-wave hold down. During this two wave hold down I kept calm and didn’t inflate the bladder on my V2.1 nor did I use my Spare Air. I had plenty of energy and felt okay. I did like knowing I had two options in case I needed it.

After filming I paddled out winded and tired and caught a couple waves. My third wave was a good sized one that I didn’t make it around the corner and got seriously rolled. I was exhausted and when I felt the second wave go over me it was time to use the V2.1 and get the hell out of there. However when I fell it pulled the chord from my shoulder and I couldn’t find the rip cord. After struggling and not finding it, because it was loose and somewhere behind my back, I was getting close to blacking out and the rest of that shit that goes on down there. I grabbed my Spare Air cleared the chamber and took 4 breaths and was able to keep calm. I came to the surface just as another wave hit me. I wasn’t really able to get much of a breath on the surface and then got drilled again. I used my spare air through this again, taking 4 more breaths. I ended up going through the rocks. Vince Broglio grabbed me in the lagoon and I was coughing up water and was very very dizzy. Super Heavy experience. Spare Air’s are supposed to have about 15 breaths, but I was taking such deep ones I went through the can in about 8 breaths.

I’ve always looked at my V2.1 as back up and my Spare Air as back up to that. Sometimes I feel silly having all that shit on. But after Wed I know that I would have been fucked if I wasn’t prepared. I don’t want us to get false safety from this stuff, but at the end of the day this is an option that works and I wanted to share that.

Please share and let’s keep up this dialogue of safety and let’s keep looking out for each other. Please pass this on to anyone that might be interested. Have a great day, see you all soon.
Shawn Dollar, Professional Big-Wave Surfer.”